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Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Living well in the urban village

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« In My Kitchen
Survival Soup »

Lemon Cream Cheese Cake

March 16, 2010 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

My friend Ellen has joined a cult.

I tried to tell her that all schools were the same, but receiving four notes about fundraising within the first week of her child starting kindergarten has her completely convinced.  She can see herself standing on street corners next, jingling a collection tin.

One of the missives requires her (it was an imperative, not a request) to produce a baked item for the school’s cake stall.  El felt that her latest attempt – a date loaf which she unfortunately decided to bake in mini-muffin pans, prompting her youngest son to dub them “poo cakes”  – might not be a best seller.  She asked me yesterday for an easy, pretty recipe and I promised her I’d post this one up.

This dead simple recipe comes from an old Women’s Weekly cookbook, and it was almost the first cake I ever learnt to bake.

Why is it so great?  Because it uses very few ingredients, there’s no sifting involved, and the cream cheese produces a fine crumb that is moist and tender every time.  The ingredients are readily available, the batter is made in mere minutes, and the cake  keeps well for several days.

When I’m weary, this is the recipe I turn to.  It’s universally popular, adaptable and bakes consistently well every time.

  • 125g (4.5oz) cream cheese (I used Philadelphia), at room temperature
  • 250g (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind (about the rind of one lemon)
  • 320g (1½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 3 large (59g) eggs
  • 225g (1½ cups) plain (all purpose) flour
  • icing sugar (for serving)

1. Preheat oven to 175C (350F) with fan.

2. Beat the cream cheese, butter and lemon rind together until smooth, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the flour in two batches, stir lightly until smooth.  Spoon into a well greased 20cm (8″) ring tin or baba pan.  Note: I used a Wilton bundt pan, which was a bit too large for this amount of batter.

3. Bake the cake for 30 minutes at 175C (350F) with fan, then reduce the oven temperature to 150C  (300F) with fan and bake for a further 20 – 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Cool the cake in its tin for 10 minutes, before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Dust the cake with sifted icing sugar before serving.

PS. A note on cream cheese – I’ve made this with  nearly every permutation of Philly cheese – from the original solid block to the light spreadable.  It’s worked well every time!

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Posted in Recipes | Tagged lemon cream cheese cake | 51 Comments

51 Responses

  1. on March 16, 2010 at 1:07 am 2424 Foodie

    Would this recipe be good with poppy seeds?


    • on March 16, 2010 at 5:25 am figjamandlimecordial

      Foodie, I’ve never tried it. It might, though, because it has a similar texture to a pound cake?


  2. on March 16, 2010 at 1:08 am Cheryl McNulty

    Now this looks like something I ought to try!:)


  3. on March 16, 2010 at 1:29 am Gloriadelia

    Yum! Great pictures! would powdered sugar be the American equivalent of caster (superfine) sugar, I wonder?


    • on March 16, 2010 at 5:33 am figjamandlimecordial

      Thank you! According to my google searches, caster sugar is sold as superfine sugar in the baking aisle in larger US grocery stores. My friend Dan tells me it’s also called baker’s sugar or ultra-fine sugar.

      I believe powdered sugar is the equivalent to our icing/confectioners sugar, and too fine for this.

      Caster sugar is basically white sugar that has been ground a bit more finely, but still granular. Some sites suggest grinding regular sugar in a food processor (though every time I’ve done that, I’ve ended up with powdered sugar).

      I wonder, though, if you could just substitute granulated sugar by weight (ie. 320g), rather than by volume? It’s the same sugar, it’s just ground more finely.

      Hope that helps, Celia


      • on March 17, 2010 at 5:00 am dana

        caster sugar measures the same as granulated in volume too, cup for cup. tried it last week.

        that looks so moist, i bet it’s great with the morning coffee! is it a pain to wash that tin? i pondered getting one, but even the one i have one annoys me, and it only has a few ‘waves’.

        serendipitously, yes, celia! if you’ve made something similar to my soup, i made something close to this, in the same bundt pan, only using apples. i have yet to write about it. i have some bread rising now, but as i’m likely to find you baking two times out of three, i won’t call that one coincidence.


        • on March 17, 2010 at 5:44 am figjamandlimecordial

          Dana, in theory caster sugar should take up less space, since it’s more finely ground. I’m amazed it measured up the same in both weight and volume..

          The tin is pretty easy to wash up, as the coating is quite good. Some of the designs are hard, though – I borrowed Maude’s rose pan once, and it drove me bananas getting cooked cake out of the crevices. I once wrote about my bundt tins, you might enjoy the post, Dana…bundt tins

          Back onto the question of cleaning, Pete solved it for me by buying me a brush from the auto section at Kmart. He said the car buffs were very particular about their cars not getting scratched, and he was right – this was the softest brush you ever saw.. :)


  4. on March 16, 2010 at 1:42 am dohugsnotdrugs

    That looks fantastic.


  5. on March 16, 2010 at 2:01 am moranna

    yum, yum it looks reallt delicious and so easy! Can’t wait to have a go.


  6. on March 16, 2010 at 2:17 am jarretthill

    This could be a problem… wow.

    j.


  7. on March 16, 2010 at 2:28 am sylwilson

    Oh I too can relate to the kids fundraisers. I have a 3 year old in pre-school and each month I have a new target to reach and a new fundraiser. I am running out of people to ask to help me! LOL! As for this recipe I plan on trying it out this weekend…maybe sooner because it sounds delicious and EASY which are my favorite two words to use when it comes to baking!


    • on March 16, 2010 at 5:34 am figjamandlimecordial

      Hahaha…my friend El will be happy to know that other people are in the same position! And this recipe really is easy – important with a three year old running around! :)


  8. on March 16, 2010 at 3:02 am Tara Aarness

    Fantastic! Can’t wait to try this recipe out. Thanks for posting this and I’m off to explore more of your blog. :)


  9. on March 16, 2010 at 3:05 am annelise

    This looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing.


  10. on March 16, 2010 at 5:27 am knoxblevins

    I should not have come here. Now I’m really hungry.


  11. on March 16, 2010 at 6:17 am cozydelicious

    This looks so wonderful, and yes, very pretty! I adore simple cakes like this. I am going to file this one away to break out in a couple months when it’s finally strawberry season – I think this sounds like it would be amazing with a few sliced berries along side! Thanks!


    • on March 16, 2010 at 6:41 am figjamandlimecordial

      It would be lovely with berries! Sometimes I use this cake as a base for trifles…


  12. on March 16, 2010 at 6:21 am Eliza from Urban Homesteader

    Congratulations on your placement on the WordPress home page today! This cake looks so good, and I appreciate you including the measurements and temperature in both European and U.S. variations. I am going to bake your cake this week — yum!


    • on March 16, 2010 at 6:42 am figjamandlimecordial

      Thanks Eliza, it’s very exciting! :)


  13. on March 16, 2010 at 6:21 am From Milk to Labneh, no special tools

    […] Lemon Cream Cheese Cake « Fig Jam and Lime Cordial […]


  14. on March 16, 2010 at 6:37 am mmaste13

    Just looking at those pictures made me so hungry!


  15. on March 16, 2010 at 7:18 am cityhippyfarmgirl

    Oh I am so glad I just found your blog. (Thanks word press!) its great to read a fellow Sydneysider with similar beliefs. Great site. Look forward to trawling through. Will you be my bloggy mentor?:-)


    • on March 16, 2010 at 7:37 am figjamandlimecordial

      Just had a look at your blog, it looks wonderful! :) If you’re enjoying Gourmet Farmer, you might want to google River Cottage – Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall did what Matthew Evans is doing about ten years earlier, and there are now several series on his adventures. We’re absolutely hooked!


      • on March 16, 2010 at 11:36 am cityhippyfarmgirl

        Thanks for the River Cottage tip- it looks wonderful. Many happy readings to be had in there!


  16. on March 16, 2010 at 7:31 am apocalypsecakes

    I like the shape. Could be cool to do something really geometrically complex with it.


    • on March 16, 2010 at 7:35 am figjamandlimecordial

      Yes, it’s quite versatile, would work in interesting shapes. I’ve baked it in everything from baby flower pans to square pans, which I cut up to make character birthday cakes for the kids!


  17. on March 16, 2010 at 8:28 am veena sterling

    So I made this vegan. Instead of cream cheese, I used tofu cream cheese found at Trader Joe’s in the cheese section, and instead of eggs, added the egg substitute from Whole Foods, and the cake tasted very yummy. And oh yes, also instead of the butter, added vegan margarine, and a cup of apple sauce. And the cake was very very yummy


    • on March 16, 2010 at 8:45 am figjamandlimecordial

      Veena, thank you for letting us know that! How great that you were able to make it work with all those substitutions!


  18. on March 16, 2010 at 8:32 am Lakia

    This is a really yummy blog lol I have to come back for all the great desserts…


  19. on March 16, 2010 at 10:34 am Desiree

    I want to try this! Thanks for sharing!


  20. on March 16, 2010 at 12:07 pm foodielady

    this recipe looks delicious! will try soon. last week i posted in my recipe blog a lemon bread in which i use yogurt instead of cream cheese. in my recipe for traditional birthday cake i use cream cheese as well. looking forward to more recipes. love your site! http://www.foodielady.wordpress.com


  21. on March 16, 2010 at 1:43 pm Anna

    How lucky am I that I actually had a slice?!


    • on March 16, 2010 at 2:17 pm figjamandlimecordial

      How lucky am I to have been able to share it with you? :)


  22. on March 16, 2010 at 4:05 pm pamungkas eko

    looks yummy….


  23. on March 16, 2010 at 5:00 pm Rohit

    I am a vegetarian. Is there anything that can be substituted for an egg?


    • on March 16, 2010 at 5:22 pm figjamandlimecordial

      Rohit, Veena left a comment above about a vegan version that she made, which might be of use to you?

      Cheers, Celia


  24. on March 16, 2010 at 5:07 pm Suelle

    Great looking texture to this cake – and I love the cake tin shape too!


    • on March 16, 2010 at 5:23 pm figjamandlimecordial

      Thanks Suelle. One of my too many bundt tins.. :)


  25. on March 16, 2010 at 8:40 pm Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella

    I’ve got this pan and it’s really cute. You can add all sorts of details on top to make it look more flower like too! :) Although perhaps the cake doesn’t need it as it sounds good on its own,


  26. on March 16, 2010 at 9:03 pm slamdunk

    Wow, that looks fantastic.


  27. on March 17, 2010 at 6:01 am Kitchen Butterfly

    Will miss your delights this week…hmmmm, I love easy-to-make-cakes, especially to bake with the kids. This is a must make….soon. Lots of love!


  28. on March 17, 2010 at 8:54 am spiceandmore

    I NEED that bundt tin…. :)
    Nice sounding cake….I love those easy ones which don’t need anything fancy, or any fancy processes, that you end up making time and again. I used to make a lemon cake like that, but it got to the point that everyone who asked us over would also ask me to bring that lemon cake. A good thing that it was so easy, but in a perverse way it started to annoy me, so I stopped making it. Yes, I know I am quite mad. This could be a good replacement cake for the lemon one!


  29. on March 17, 2010 at 9:46 pm SarahKate

    That is a seriously GORGEOUS cake. Makes me want to skip work today to stay home and bake. I bet it smells amazing when it’s in the oven. YUM!


  30. on April 13, 2010 at 12:57 am Heidi

    Thank you for sharing this recipe. This was sooooo easy to make, and turned out great! Lovely bundt pans too!


    • on April 13, 2010 at 6:53 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Glad you liked it! Thanks so much for the feedback! :)


  31. on June 25, 2010 at 9:31 pm Carrie

    I know this is an older post, but I’ve been dying to make this every since I saw it. I only have another week or so on crutches, but after that I’m back in the kitchen. Is it a very mild lemon flavor or is it fairly lemony. I adore lemon so if it’s very mild I’d want to play with it a bit to add some more lemon.


    • on June 25, 2010 at 9:44 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Carrie, it’s quite lemony! Hope you’re feeling better soon…


  32. on November 14, 2010 at 11:13 pm Leah

    Hi Celia,
    I just wanted to let you know that I looove this recipe… and your blog! I have made this a couple of times, and then found the consistency so good that I converted it into a traditional choc/vanilla marble cake similar to the ones my Mum used to make when I was a kid. Fantastic :) so delicious and naughty. I
    Thanks for sharing!
    Leah


  33. on September 15, 2011 at 2:03 pm Lemon cream cheese cake » Claire K Creations

    […] her aunt I just had to use the lemons. This recipe for lemon cream cheese cake, which I found at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, has been pinned on my Pinterest board for a little while now waiting for the perfect occasion. […]


  34. on October 6, 2011 at 2:00 pm Pinterest comes to life

    […] from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial has never failed me with her recipes and this lemon cream cheese cake was no different. It was so […]


  35. on October 29, 2011 at 10:57 pm Tami

    Thanks for posting this recipe! This was my FAVOURITE cake from my mum’s old women’s weekly cook book. I’ve been wanting to make it for ages but didn’t have the recipe as I’m living abroad. Making this tomorrow for a little taste of home. Cheers!



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